CATALOG of Official Guides and Resources)

[LeGenD123]

DISCLAIMER: This thread is intended to serve as a convenient guidance platform for "PC users" for the purpose of increasing their knowledge about PC related concepts and setup procedures. A list of beneficial official guides and resources is provided below.

Guides for Novices:-

PC BASICS Quick Reference Guide (From CustomGuide)

Jan's Computer Basics (From Jan's Illustrated)

Introduction to PC Components (From NVIDIA)

How to Build a Computer from Scratch: The Complete Guide (From LifeHacker)

Guides for Enthusiasts:-

How to build an SLI Rig (From NVIDIA)

Publishing Google Spreadsheet on PG forum

[NEW FEATURE] Google Spreadsheet For Updating Scores. Now Available ! (By Nafu)

 

[LeGenD123]

Illustrations:-

Functionality basics:

Based on http://www.computerhelpatoz.com/how-diagram.gif

Taken from (Compute Help A to Z)

• Processor - At the heart of every PC is the central processing unit, CPU for short. The CPU plugs into a motherboard which has a lot of other chips and electronics on it. The CPU and other components work together to schedule, compute and control everything that happens in the PC.

• Input - Devices that allow you to direct the action of the PC. The keyboard and mouse enable you to control the computer by giving it directions (input).

• Output - Devices that display or produce results for you. The video display and printer are the primary ones. The speakers beep, chime etc., to let you know an action is completed and they also play your favorite MP3 files.

• Memory - Is temporary storage used by the CPU to store results of calculations or files brought in from the hard drive. Memory is very fast and volatile which means it loses it's information when power is removed. The memory cells are housed in Integrated Circuits (ICs), or chips as they are often called.

• Storage - Devices that retain information magnetically (Hard Disk Drive and Tapes) or optically (CD and DVD). They are not as fast as memory but can store much more data. They do not lose their information when power is removed.

• Software - These are instructions, also known as programs or code. Software is to the CPU, what knowledge is to our human brains. The CPU and software work very closely together. Each one by itself is useless. Only when they work properly together can they direct and execute activities in the PC in a productive way.

 

[Innceptionist]

That's a nice set of resources. I'm currently reading the NVIDIA guidebook and it's pretty informative.